Albert Camus broke the rules of an essay when he published his 306 page essay, The Rebel: An Essay on Man in Revolt on the manifestation of human nature and rebellion. The novel-length essay was published in 1954 in French under the name L'Homme rèvoltè. Along with being written in French, Camus focuses the essay on the French Revolution and how it and other revolutions alike are based on the abandonment of traditional values in the fight for justice.
Camus begins his discussion on this fight by examining whether murder (institutional murder included) is justifiable. In this, he looks toward suicide and how suicide and murder are one in the same. They are both the denial of responsibility and are a part of a "system of misguided intelligence that prefers, to the suffering imposed by a limited situation, the dark victory in which heaven and earth are annihilated" (Camus 7). Camus then cites the relationship between murder and rebellion in the "Hitlerian apocalypse" and Roman history. In this, he looks to philosophers such as Hegel, and Nietzsche in particular, looking at the belief system of nihilism. Nihilism being the rejection of all moral principles and the belief that life has no meaning. Camus argues that this a constant theme that runs through rebels. He states that if an individual wants revolution or rebellion to succeed they need to be consistent and concrete on their values-believe in their cause- and only then will they be productive.
From there Camus examines the nature of both rebellion and revolution. He looks at both from not only a historical view, but also psychological and artistic views. In summation, Camus comes to the conclusion that rebellion can be a rational action because its goal is to reaffirm the value of life while revolution is often a selfish act.
Going into reading this essay I somewhat knew, how intense Camus' writing style is, but in no way was I prepared for how demanding it is. Camus writes in a way the demands constant attention for complete understanding and this is seen primarily in the diction. Due to the topic, Camus writes in a philosophical manner, however, everything stated in the essay is his view on human nature and rebellion. Not to say that I didn't enjoy The Rebel, but if I were the read it again or even recommend it to someone else, I would suggest taking the time to seriously indulge in what Camus has to say and to be open to it.
Camus, Albert. The Rebel: An Essay on Man in Revolt. New York: Knopf, 1956. Print.
Camus begins his discussion on this fight by examining whether murder (institutional murder included) is justifiable. In this, he looks toward suicide and how suicide and murder are one in the same. They are both the denial of responsibility and are a part of a "system of misguided intelligence that prefers, to the suffering imposed by a limited situation, the dark victory in which heaven and earth are annihilated" (Camus 7). Camus then cites the relationship between murder and rebellion in the "Hitlerian apocalypse" and Roman history. In this, he looks to philosophers such as Hegel, and Nietzsche in particular, looking at the belief system of nihilism. Nihilism being the rejection of all moral principles and the belief that life has no meaning. Camus argues that this a constant theme that runs through rebels. He states that if an individual wants revolution or rebellion to succeed they need to be consistent and concrete on their values-believe in their cause- and only then will they be productive.
From there Camus examines the nature of both rebellion and revolution. He looks at both from not only a historical view, but also psychological and artistic views. In summation, Camus comes to the conclusion that rebellion can be a rational action because its goal is to reaffirm the value of life while revolution is often a selfish act.
Going into reading this essay I somewhat knew, how intense Camus' writing style is, but in no way was I prepared for how demanding it is. Camus writes in a way the demands constant attention for complete understanding and this is seen primarily in the diction. Due to the topic, Camus writes in a philosophical manner, however, everything stated in the essay is his view on human nature and rebellion. Not to say that I didn't enjoy The Rebel, but if I were the read it again or even recommend it to someone else, I would suggest taking the time to seriously indulge in what Camus has to say and to be open to it.
Camus, Albert. The Rebel: An Essay on Man in Revolt. New York: Knopf, 1956. Print.